


Foregone Conclusions

by dollteeth



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dysfunctional Family, Explicit Language, Gen, Marauders' Era, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-17
Updated: 2011-01-17
Packaged: 2017-10-14 20:14:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/153029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dollteeth/pseuds/dollteeth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every unhappy family is miserable in its own way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Foregone Conclusions

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written in February 2006.

“Can I ask you something?”

Sirius had seated himself on a tree-stump, which was covered so heavily in snow that it was barely recognizable as one. He stopped kicking at the ground and looked up warily, fidgeting with the tassels on his scarf. “You can ask,” he said, “but I probably don’t want to answer.”

Regulus shoved his hands into his cloak pockets and gazed at the snow-covered treetops so he could avoid his brother’s eyes. “I just want to know what it was that you _did_ , this last time,” he said carefully. “You don’t have to go into specifics, just... you know, a lesson on what not to do?”

He looked at Sirius again to gauge whether or not he ought to brace for a punch to the gut. Luckily, he looked so fatigued, so defeated, that it would take more than usual to provoke him. All Sirius did was fire him a poisonous look before returning his eyes to the snow. “Here’s what not to do, then,” he said bitterly. “Don’t get your fucking hopes up.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Sirius kicked at the powder again, sending tiny snowflake fragments in all directions. “Have you ever noticed,” he said darkly, “that in our family, love is conditional?”

Regulus shivered. “That’s not true at all,” he said; even as he spoke he hated the childish whine that his voice had taken on without his permission. “Mum loves you, you know, I’m sure she does.”

“Right,” Sirius muttered. “She loves everyone no matter what they do. That’s why you still see Andromeda at Christmas.”

“That’s not the same,” he insisted. “Andromeda isn’t her daughter, for one thing, and for another, you didn’t marry a Mudbl —”

The look Sirius gave him cut him off mid-word. There was a very heavy silence for a moment.

“You’re not _involved with_ one or something, are you?” Regulus asked carefully.

For the most fleeting of moments Sirius's face had the same look of vague disgust that Regulus knew he himself was wearing, but he suppressed it almost immediately. “Of course not. It’s nothing like that, stupid, it’s an ideological thing.”

Regulus rolled his eyes. “Well that’s why you don’t _talk_ about ideological things with Mum, you thickhead. All you have to do now is apologize and learn to keep your mouth shut and she’ll take you right back in. It doesn’t have to be the big catastrophe you’re turning it into.”

He wasn’t sure what he’d expected Sirius to do. He knew his brother well enough to know that being sensible didn’t come naturally to him, and that he wouldn’t know how to think for anyone’s benefit but his own if his life depended on it. Sirius stood up briskly and brushed snow off his cloak, not looking at Regulus as he spoke. “I don’t know why you’re so interested in getting me home at all,” he said coldly. “You get to be Mummy’s little heir for real, now, it’s got to be a dream come true.”

Regulus felt his face go white. “What makes you think I _want_ that?” It came out much louder than he’d intended, and there was a note of panic in his voice.

Sirius half-turned, one eyebrow raised. “Are you saying you _don’t?_ ”

Regulus bit his lip. “I want to do other things,” he said, feeling guilty for even thinking it. “I’d be horrible at running the family — I’m rubbish at political things, I can’t talk to people like you can, I don’t want to have to get married — you’re better suited to it than I am. All you’d have to do is stay out of Mum’s hair until she dies, and then you’d be able to believe whatever foolish ideological things you wanted to.”

Sirius was staring at him, his surprise mingled with something that might have been pity. It took him a few moments to resume the haughty, condescending look he had been wearing before.

“Don’t let your mother hear you talking like that,” he said coldly. “Or she’ll stop loving you, too.”


End file.
